A cashier at REI in Denver bags items during a holiday sale on Friday, Dec. 26, 2008. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)

The famed and generous REI return policy is undergoing a major overhaul.

Citing a “growing number of customers who stretch our policy beyond its intended purposes,” Tim Spangler, REI senior vice president for retail, emailed customers on Tuesday to say they have one year from the purchase of an item at an REI store or REI.com to return or exchange it, except for items purchased from REI-OUTLET — which must be returned within 30 days.

Its “100% Satisfaction Guaranteed” policy does not cover ordinary wear and tear or damage caused by improper use or accidents, the company states. Items with manufacturing defects — even those purchased and then used a few years later — can still be returned at any time. The policy previously allowed customers to return any item, even years after purchase and use.

In a phone interview, Spangler said that the company started noticing a “material impact on our profit” from returns that were more than a year old, beginning three years ago.

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